Person of interest in Rutland homicide indicted on related charges

Saturday

Mar 22, 2014 at 6:00 AMMar 22, 2014 at 7:33 PM

By Gary V. Murray TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — A city man prosecutors have called a person of interest in a Rutland homicide investigation was indicted Friday on perjury, misleading police, larceny and receiving stolen property charges.

Angel E. Santiago, 20, with a last known address of 82 Fox St., was arrested March 14 on a warrant charging him with stealing an SUV belonging to 53-year-old Diane Lamarche-Leader, whose body was found after a Dec. 6 fire in her home at 2 Joanna Drive in Rutland.

Mr. Santiago was also charged with misleading police in connection with the investigation into Ms. Lamarche-Leader's death and with receiving property investigators said was stolen from the Rutland home after she died.

Although a medical examiner listed Ms. Lamarche-Leader as a homicide victim, prosecutors have been awaiting the results of an autopsy conducted to determine the cause of her death. No one has been charged with the killing. Authorities initially ruled the fire suspicious.

Assistant District Attorney Anthony Melia said during Mr. Santiago's March 14 arraignment in Central District Court that he was a "person of interest" in the homicide investigation. The prosecutor said Mr. Santiago's bloody sneaker print was found in a bedroom in the Rutland home in which investigators believe Ms. Lamarche-Leader was killed.

When questioned by police, Mr. Santiago initially denied any knowledge of Ms. Lamarche-Leader's death, but he later admitted being at the scene, according to a statement of facts filed by state police in the district court. He denied being in the room where the homicide occurred, according to the statement.

Investigators said Mr. Santiago told them he and another individual left Ms. Lamarche-Leader's home in her SUV after she was killed. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Worcester. Police located items inside the SUV, including cellphones and a GPS unit, that belonged to Ms. Lamarche-Leader and were believed to have been taken from her home after her death.

Mr. Santiago allegedly told investigators there were also flat-screen TVs that were stolen from the home that were not recovered.

A Worcester County grand jury returned indictments Friday charging Mr. Santiago with perjury, misleading police, larceny of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property. The perjury charge relates to Mr. Santiago's Dec. 12 testimony before a grand jury, according to the indictment.

Mr. Santiago's case will be transferred to Worcester Superior Court as a result of the indictments.

A second man, 35-year-old Amador Roman, was previously charged with misleading police, larceny of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property in connection with the case.

Prosecutors said earlier that Ms. Lamarche-Leader was a nurse who assisted people with substance abuse problems and that Mr. Roman had been staying with her at the Rutland home.